Toronto’s Must-See Shows This Summer

Post navigation

Concerts you can't miss

There’s no question about it, summer is the best season for concerts here in Toronto. As the sun heats up, the city becomes alive with outdoor shows, festivals and events. If you’re in the market to blow your winters savings on concerts, look no further! Here are the most anticipated concerts of the summer in Toronto:

This Indie88 feature is presented with Amsterdam Brewery

Field Trip

Kick off the summer with Field Trip! This festival is the ultimate staycation, as Fort York is just minutes away from Toronto’s core. On top of that, this year’s lineup is wild with Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alvvays, Bahamas and tons more.

Hop Along

This American indie folk-rock band is sugary AND rocks hard! With the combo of Frances Quinlans raspy, sweet yet feisty vocals mixed with some bad ass drums and guitar, this show is going to be a great time guaranteed.

Jack White

Who can get enough of Jack White’s epic guitar slams and intense vocals? Not us. Get down to tunes like “Fell In Love with A Girl” & “Seven Nation Army” or new tracks from his recently released album, Boarding House Reach.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

The legendary King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is coming to town! If you haven’t listened to these guys yet, you need to – they’re an Australian psychedelic rock band who seriously know how to jam. They’re destined to put on an epic show.

Kendrick Lamar

The second that a song by Kendrick Lamar comes on, there’s no sitting still – how could we? His music is just too damn good! A show you definitely don’t want to miss, head to the Budweiser Stage on June 12th for a wild night.

Patrick Watson

Be prepared to feel ALL of the feels when listening to Patrick Watson. His stunning vocals combined with a magnificent instrumental sound will have your jaw dropped to the floor and your breath no where to be found.

Paramore

Paramore has always produced a ton of great tracks that you can sing your heart out to, but their recent work is just on a whole other level! There’s a slight disco vibe mixed with their classic sound. Catch them at the Budweiser Stage June 18th, PLUS Foster the People will be performing too – I mean, come on, talk about killing two birds with one stone!

Vance Joy

Could Vance Joy’s music get any catchier? Or dreamier? We’re not really sure, but what we can confirm is that his performance at Budweiser stage is going to be sweet. Nothing better than a concert where you can sing every. single. lyric.

Arkells

Is it just us or does every song by Arkells sound like an anthem? We can’t help but sing and yell and dance and jump along to their alternative tracks, they’re just all so fun and catchy. Join in on the fun at The Rally festival in the bands hometown, Hamilton Ontario!

Radiohead

Radiohead haven’t performed in Toronto for years due to the accident that tragically killed their drum technician before their last scheduled date here. Needless to say it’s a pretty big deal the influential rock group are coming to Toronto.

Alex Cameron

Australian performer Alex Cameron does live shows differently, known for his high-concept act where he performs adopting the persona of a failed entertainer. It’s a bit of a spectacle and totally worth checking out!

Arcade Fire

Even if you’ve seen Arcade Fire before, you never know what to expect with the beloved Canadian indie-rock group. The band consistently raises the bar on live performances, and we expect no less at their summer show at Budweiser Stage!

Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes are back again on the second round of tours supporting their recent album Crack-Up. The band have announced “special guests” will be dropping by their Sony Centre performance so there’s a lot to look forward to!

Lord Huron

This indie band has been making their rounds since for the better half of a decade, though they got a huge career push when the Netflix hit 13 Reason Why used their 2015 song “The Night We Met”. Ever since, Lord Huron have been filling the airwaves and selling out North American audiences.

Deafheaven

If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier, Deafheaven is for you. The American metal band take over The Opera House this to celebrate the release of their forthcoming record Ordinary Corrupt Human Love.

Sylvan Esso

Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn makeup the Grammy-nominated duo Sylvan Esso, and their brand of groove-infected electronic music will keep the bodies movig at the Danforth Music Hall for two nights this summer.

Father John Misty / The National

Father John Misty and The National headline an impressive one-day outdoor show coming to Fort York in August. They’ll be joined by the likes of Jenny Lewis and Julien Baker, making this one of the city’s must-see shows of the summer.

Arctic Monkeys

Armed with an eclectic new record, Arctic Monkeys finally returned to the concert circuit this year. It’s been three years since they last toured, so this is easily one of Toronto’s most highly-anticipated concerts of the summer.

Smashing Pumpkins

Billy Corgan brought most of the Smashing Pumpkins’ original lineup back for this reunion tour. The band shared a list of songs they’ve been rehearsing for the tour, and it appears that they’re set to deliver some fan service with the hits. Remember the 90s on August 8.

Childish Gambino

Donald Glover may be the busiest human in show business. He’s in the middle of a fantastic year, having played a starring role as a young Lando Calrissian in the latest Star Wars spinoff film, not to mention delivering one of the best videos of the year with “This Is America.” We’re not sure how much longer he’ll continue to pump out music as Childish Gambino, so make sure to see him this summer.

Car Seat Headrest

Car Seat Headrest are producing some of the best guitar-driven indie rock on the planet. They’ll invade the Danforth in September to finish off the summer with songs from re-worked Twin Fantasy LP and more.

Frank Turner

One of alternative rock’s finest story tellers will take up residence at The Phoenix for two nights. Frank Turner’s new record Be More Kind is a poltical statement, which should make for a pair of special evenings in September.